Wood Memorial Stakes

Wood Memorial Stakes
Grade II race
LocationAqueduct Racetrack
Ozone Park, Queens, New York
Inaugurated1925
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat racing
Race information
Distance1+1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
Weight123 lbs (55.8 kg)
Purse$750,000

The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memorial has been run as a Grade II event since 2017.[1] It was a Grade I race from 1974 (when grading was first introduced) to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2016.[2]

The Wood Memorial is one of the major prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Between 1930 and 2000, eleven winners of the Wood Memorial went on to win the Kentucky Derby (Gallant Fox, Twenty Grand, Johnstown, Count Fleet, Hoop Jr., Assault, Foolish Pleasure, Bold Forbes, Seattle Slew, Pleasant Colony and Fusaichi Pegasus). Four of them also won the Triple Crown. The most famous loser in the Wood Memorial was Secretariat, who finished third in 1973.

The winner of the Wood Memorial has not won the Kentucky Derby since 2000, in part because several became injured in the weeks between the two races. For example, Toby's Corner missed the Derby with lameness in his left hind leg (2011), Eskendereya with a soft tissue injury in his left front leg (2010), I Want Revenge with a ligament injury to his right front ankle (2009) and Buddha with separation of the hoof wall from the laminae of his left front leg (2002).

The race was named to honor Eugene D. Wood, a New York State politician and horse racing enthusiast who had been a founder and past president of the old Jamaica Race Course where the race was run until 1960.

From 1925 to 1939, the Wood Memorial was run over a distance of one mile and seventy yards, then at 1+1⁄16 miles from 1940 to 1951, after which it was changed to its present 1+1⁄8 miles. All entrants currently carry a weight of 123 lb.

The race was run in two divisions in 1944, 1945, 1947, 1974, and 1983.

Records

In 2005, Bellamy Road set a new stakes record of 1:47.16 at the 1+1⁄8 mile distance in winning by 17+1⁄2 lengths for his owner, George Steinbrenner.[3]

Most wins by a jockey:

  • 9 – Eddie Arcaro (1944, 1945, 1947 (2), 1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958)

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Year
 Winner
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
(Miles) 		Time
 Win$
 Gr.
2024 Resilience John R. Velazquez William I. Mott Emily Bushnell & Ric Waldman 11⁄8 m 1:50.28 $400,000 G2
2023 Lord Miles Paco Lopez Saffie A. Joseph Jr. Vegso Racing Stable 11⁄8 m 1:51.17 $400,000 G2
2022 Mo Donegal Joel Rosario Todd A. Pletcher Donegal Racing 11⁄8 m 1:47.96 $400,000 G2
2021 Bourbonic Kendrick Carmouche Todd A. Pletcher Calumet Farm 11⁄8 m 1:54.49 $400,000 G2
2020 No Race
2019 Tacitus José Ortiz William I. Mott Juddmonte Farms Inc. 11⁄8 m 1:51.23 $400,000 G2
2018 Vino Rosso John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable 11⁄8 m 1:49.79 $535,000 G2
2017 Irish War Cry Rajiv Maragh H. Graham Motion Isabelle de Tomaso 11⁄8 m 1:50.91 $400,000 G2
2016 Outwork John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable 11⁄8 m 1:52.92 $590,000 G1
2015 Frosted Joel Rosario Kiaran McLaughlin Godolphin Racing 11⁄8 m 1:50.31 $590,000 G1
2014 Wicked Strong Rajiv Maragh James Jerkens Centennial Farms 11⁄8 m 1:49.31 $590,000 G1
2013 Verrazano John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Let's Go Stables 11⁄8 m 1:50.27 $600,000 G1
2012 Gemologist Javier Castellano Todd A. Pletcher WinStar Farm 11⁄8 m 1:50.96 $600,000 G1
2011 Toby's Corner Eddie Castro H. Graham Motion Dianne Cotter 11⁄8 m 1:49.93 $600,000 G1
2010 Eskendereya John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Zayat Stables 11⁄8 m 1:49.97 $450,000 G1
2009 I Want Revenge Joseph Talamo Jeff Mullins David J. Lanzman & IEAH Stables 11⁄8 m 1:49.49 $450,000 G1
2008 Tale of Ekati Edgar Prado Barclay Tagg Charles E. Fipke 11⁄8 m 1:52.35 $450,000 G1
2007 Nobiz Like Shobiz Cornelio Velásquez Barclay Tagg Elizabeth J. Valando 11⁄8 m 1:49.46 $450,000 G1
2006 Bob and John Garrett Gomez Bob Baffert Stonerside Stable 11⁄8 m 1:51.54 $450,000 G1
2005 Bellamy Road Javier Castellano Nick Zito Kinsman Stable 11⁄8 m 1:47.16 $450,000 G1
2004 Tapit Ramon A. Dominguez Michael W. Dickinson Ronald Winchell 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $450,000 G1
2003 Empire Maker Jerry Bailey Robert J. Frankel Juddmonte Farms 11⁄8 m 1:48.60 $450,000 G1
2002 Buddha Pat Day H. James Bond Gary & Mary West 11⁄8 m 1:48.60 $450,000 G1
2001 Congaree Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert Stonerside Stable 11⁄8 m 1:47.80 $450,000 G2
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus Kent Desormeaux Neil D. Drysdale Fusao Sekiguchi 11⁄8 m 1:47.80 $450,000 G2
1999 Adonis Jorge Chavez Nick Zito Paraneck Stable 11⁄8 m 1:47.60 $360,000 G2
1998 Coronado's Quest Robbie Davis Claude R. McGaughey III Stuart S. Janney III 11⁄8 m 1:47.40 $300,000 G2
1997 Captain Bodgit Alex Solis Gary Capuano Team Valor 11⁄8 m 1:48.20 $300,000 G2
1996 Unbridled's Song Mike E. Smith James T. Ryerson Paraneck Stable 11⁄8 m 1:49.80 $300,000 G2
1995 Talkin Man Shane Sellers Roger Attfield Kinghaven Farms 11⁄8 m 1:49.20 $300,000 G2
1994 Irgun Gary Stevens Steven W. Young Brandon & Marianne Chase 11⁄8 m 1:49.00 $300,000 G1
1993 Storm Tower Rick Wilson Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. Char-Mari Stable 11⁄8 m 1:48.40 $300,000 G1
1992 Devil His Due Mike E. Smith H. Allen Jerkens Lion Crest Stable 11⁄8 m 1:49.20 $300,000 G1
1991 Cahill Road Craig Perret Scotty Schulhofer Frances A. Genter 11⁄8 m 1:48.40 $300,000 G1
1990 Thirty Six Red Mike E. Smith Nick Zito B. Giles Brophy 11⁄8 m 1:50.40 $362,400 G1
1989 Easy Goer Pat Day Claude R. McGaughey III Ogden Phipps 11⁄8 m 1:50.60 $340,800 G1
1988 Private Terms Chris Antley Charles Hadry Locust Hill Farm 11⁄8 m 1:47.20 $359,400 G1
1987 Gulch José A. Santos LeRoy Jolley Peter M. Brant 11⁄8 m 1:49.00 $354,300 G1
1986 Broad Brush Vincent Bracciale Jr. Richard W. Small Robert E. Meyerhoff 11⁄8 m 1:50.60 $178,500 G1
1985 Eternal Prince Richard Migliore John J. Lenzini Jr. Brian J. Hurst 11⁄8 m 1:48.80 $177,900 G1
1984 Leroy S. Jean Cruguet Jan Nerud John A. Nerud 11⁄8 m 1:51.40 $180,000 G1
1983-2 Bounding Basque Gregg McCarron Woody Sedlacek Jacques Wimpfheimer 11⁄8 m 1:51.00 $100,980 G1
1983-1 Slew o' Gold Eddie Maple Sidney Watters Jr. Equusequity Stable 11⁄8 m 1:51.40 $101,700 G1
1982 Air Forbes Won Ángel Cordero Jr. Frank LaBoccetta Edward Anchel 11⁄8 m 1:51.00 $105,120 G1
1981 Pleasant Colony Jeffrey Fell John P. Campo Buckland Farm 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $98,280 G1
1980 Plugged Nickle Buck Thornburg Thomas J. Kelly John M. Schiff 11⁄8 m 1:50.80 $87,300 G1
1979 Instrument Landing Ángel Cordero Jr. David A. Whiteley Pen-Y-Bryn Farm 11⁄8 m 1:49.20 $85,650 G1
1978 Believe It Eddie Maple Woody Stephens Hickory Tree Stable 11⁄8 m 1:49.80 $65,490 G1
1977 Seattle Slew Jean Cruguet William H. Turner Jr. Karen L. Taylor 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $66,180 G2
1976 Bold Forbes Ángel Cordero Jr. Laz Barrera E. Rodriguez Tizol 11⁄8 m 1:47.40 $67,560 G1
1975 Foolish Pleasure Jacinto Vásquez LeRoy Jolley John L. Greer 11⁄8 m 1:48.80 $72,840 G1
1974-2 Rube The Great Miguel A. Rivera Pancho Martin Sigmund Sommer 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $69,660 G1
1974-1 Flip Sal Ángel Cordero Jr. Stephen A. DiMauro Salvatore Tufano 11⁄8 m 1:51.40 $69,360 G1
1973 Angle Light Jacinto Vásquez Lucien Laurin Edwin Whittaker 11⁄8 m 1:49.80 $68,940 G1
1972 Upper Case Ron Turcotte Lucien Laurin Meadow Stable 11⁄8 m 1:49.00 $71,040
1971 Good Behaving Chuck Baltazar John P. Campo Neil Hellman 11⁄8 m 1:49.80 $67,320
1970 Personality Eddie Belmonte John W. Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 11⁄8 m 1:49.40 $76,570
1969 Dike Jorge Velásquez Lucien Laurin Claiborne Farm 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $72,085
1968 Dancer's Image Bobby Ussery Lou Cavalaris Jr. Peter D. Fuller 11⁄8 m 1:49.00 $73,775
1967 Damascus Bill Shoemaker Frank Y. Whiteley Jr. Edith W. Bancroft 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $73,060
1966 Amberoid William Boland Lucien Laurin Reginald N. Webster 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $74,425
1965 Flag Raiser Bobby Ussery Hirsch Jacobs Isidor Bieber 11⁄8 m 1:50.20 $60,222
1964 Quadrangle Bill Hartack J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stable 11⁄8 m 1:50.20 $58,013
1963 No Robbery John L. Rotz John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 11⁄8 m 1:49.20 $59,020
1962 Admiral's Voyage Braulio Baeza Charles R. Parke Fred W. Hooper 11⁄8 m 1:49.20 $59,703
1961 Globemaster John L. Rotz Thomas J. Kelly Leonard P. Sasso 11⁄8 m 1:50.20 $56,062
1960 Francis S. Bill Shoemaker Burley Parke Harbor View Farm 11⁄8 m 1:50.20 $60,465
1959 Manassa Mauler Ray Broussard Pancho Martin Emil Dolce 11⁄8 m 1:49.60 $55,915
1958 Jewel's Reward Eddie Arcaro Ivan H. Parke Maine Chance Farm 11⁄8 m 1:50.20 $37,575
1957 Bold Ruler Eddie Arcaro Jim Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 11⁄8 m 1:48.80 $40,800
1956 Head Man Eddie Arcaro Sylvester Veitch Cornelius V. Whitney 11⁄8 m 1:50.20 $42,400
1955 Nashua Ted Atkinson Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 11⁄8 m 1:50.60 $75,100
1954 Correlation Bill Shoemaker Noble Threewitt Robert S. Lytle 11⁄8 m 1:50.00 $86,000
1953 Native Dancer Eric Guerin William C. Winfrey Alfred G. Vanderbilt II 11⁄8 m 1:50.60 $87,000
1952 Master Fiddle Dave Gorman Sol Rutchick Myhelen Stable 11⁄8 m 1:52.40 $45,200
1951 Repetoire Pete McLean Albert Jensen Nora A. Mikell 11⁄16 m 1:44.40 $35,250
1950 Hill Prince Eddie Arcaro Casey Hayes Christopher Chenery 11⁄16 m 1:43.60 $34,500
1949 Olympia Eddie Arcaro Ivan H. Parke Fred W. Hooper 11⁄16 m 1:45.00 $31,850
1948 My Request Douglas Dodson James P. Conway Florence Whitaker 11⁄16 m 1:46.20 $34,600
1947-2 Phalanx Eddie Arcaro Sylvester Veitch Cornelis V. Whitney 11⁄16 m 1:43.80 $31,325
1947-1 I Will Eddie Arcaro Sidney Jacobs Jaclyn Stable 11⁄16 m 1:45.00 $31,625
1946 Assault Warren Mehrtens Max Hirsch King Ranch 11⁄16 m 1:46.60 $22,600
1945-2 Jeep Arnold Kirkland Lydell T. Ruff Cornelius V. Whitney 11⁄16 m 1:45.80 $18,945
1945-1 Hoop Jr. Eddie Arcaro Ivan H. Parke Fred W. Hooper 11⁄16 m 1:45.00 $18,945
1944-2 Lucky Draw Johnny Longden Bert Mulholland George D. Widener Jr. 11⁄16 m 1:46.20 $20,115
1944-1 Stir Up Eddie Arcaro John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 11⁄16 m 1:44.20 $19,625
1943 Count Fleet Johnny Longden Don Cameron Fannie Hertz 11⁄16 m 1:43.00 $20,150
1942 Requested Wayne D. Wright Blackie McCoole Florence Whitaker 11⁄16 m 1:45.20 $22,900
1941 Market Wise Don Meade George W. Carroll Louis Tufano 11⁄16 m 1:45.60 $16,650
1940 Dit Leon Haas Max Hirsch W. Arnold Hanger 11⁄16 m 1:45.80 $19,225
1939 Johnstown James Stout Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1m, 70 yds 1:42.00 $17,675
1938 Fighting Fox James Stout Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1m, 70 yds 1:43.00 $17,450
1937 Melodist Johnny Longden Jim Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:42.80 $19,150
1936 Teufel Eddie Litzenberger Jim Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:43.20 $10,775
1935 Today Raymond Workman Thomas J. Healey Cornelius V. Whitney 1m, 70 yds 1:42.80 $11,350
1934 High Quest Dominick Bellizzi Robert A. Smith Brookmeade Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:43.80 $3,990
1933 Mr. Khayyam Pete Walls Matthew Peter Brady Catawba Farm (Madelaine H. Austin) 1m, 70 yds 1:42.60 $3,760
1932 Universe Linus McAtee Joseph Bauer Thomas M. Cassidy 1m, 70 yds 1:43.00 $10,400
1931 Twenty Grand Charley Kurtsinger James G. Rowe Jr. Greentree Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:42.60 $10,200
1930 Gallant Fox Earl Sande Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1m, 70 yds 1:43.60 $10,150
1929 Essare Mack Garner Joe Johnson Jacques Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:44.00 $11,000
1928 Distraction Danny McAuliffe Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:46.00 $11,300
1927 Saxon George Ellis James G. Rowe Sr. Greentree Stable 1m, 70 yds 1:43.60 $9,005
1926 Pompey Bennie Breuning William H. Karrick William R. Coe 1m, 70 yds 1:42.00 $8,700
1925 Backbone Ivan H. Parke James G. Rowe Sr. Harry Payne Whitney 1m, 70 yds 1:43.40 $7,600

Notes:

  1. In 1956, Golf Ace won but was disqualified and placed 2nd.
  2. In 1962, Admiral's Voyage and Sunrise County finished in a dead heat. However, Sunrise County, was disqualified and placed 2nd.
  3. Leroy S. (1984), Cahill Road (1991), Irgun (1994), Coronado's Quest (1998), Buddha (2002), I Want Revenge (2009), Eskendereya (2010), Toby's Corner (2011), and Lord Miles (2023) are recent horses to win the Wood Memorial Stakes, but not run in the Kentucky Derby.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Blue Grass, Wood Memorial Downgraded". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Wood Memorial Stakes Profile". equibase.com. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  3. ^ Mieszerski, Bob (2005-04-10). "Bellamy Road Rules in Wood Memorial". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
  4. ^ TVG Trackside Live, April 6th, 2006 edition.
  5. ^ Vogt, Dustin; Stevens, Mark (4 May 2023). "Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. suspended from Churchill Downs, Lord Miles scratched from Derby". WAVE. Gray Television. Retrieved 4 May 2023.